Existing radio systems (GSM, Global System for Mobile Communications; WCDMA/HSDPA, Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access/High Speed Downlink Packet Access) are not optimally suited for, for example, downloading movies from the Internet since they have been developed and defined under the assumption of a coordinated network deployment.
To alleviate the problem, a user can acquire a private base station for his/her own disposal. The private base stations are typically associated with uncoordinated and large-scale deployment. A private base station may be called many names, including such as Home Base Station, Home NodeB, femto eNodeBs or simply Home Access, and it has become a popular topic within the operator and manufacturer community.
The private base station is a consumer product for uncoordinated deployment, which is not under control of the operator. The private base station may be located on a different frequency layer than a public base station. For example, one frequency layer of 5 MHz in W-CDMA (Wide-Band Code Division Multiple Access) may be used in a public cell and a separate frequency layer for the private deployment, the private base station being also potentially intended to serve as a public capacity enhancement layer.
It can be assumed that the end-user buys an economic private base station and installs the physical entity at his home. The private base station then provides coverage and service to the user equipment registered by the owner of the private base station. The private base station may be connected via a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and via the core network of the operator towards the Internet. Some local breakout scenarios bypassing the core network of the operator may also exist.
The owner of the private base station may be interested in having as large coverage as possible for outside premises such as garden, pool area and/or even nearby public places often visited by the user. The private base station may also be a subject to undesired alternations and/or installations. The transmission power may be manipulated, for instance, by adding repeaters, amplifiers or auxiliary antennas (auxiliary antennas may not be allowed or may even be illegal). However, this may lead to undesired effects from the point of view of an operator such that a large coverage of the private base station may corrupt the capability of providing capacity enhancements.
The range covered by a private base station may be far larger than intended due to, for example, manipulation and/or undesired installations made by the user. This may inhibit the use of the public base station covering the area of the cell of the private base station and may cause disturbance even to other private base stations. Users not owning access rights to a private base station need to be directed to use a different public base station even if service should have been possible without interference problems in the area of the private base station.